


I Swear I’ll Find You

by CozyRavioli



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Can’t Tag Too Much Without Spoiling, Established Relationship, Gortys Being a Sweetheart, Loader Bot Being Loader Bot, Other, Post-Borderlands 3, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, they/them for Zer0
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 00:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20787248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CozyRavioli/pseuds/CozyRavioli
Summary: Zer0 suddenly finds themselves in Rhys’ bedroom.Something feels horribly wrong.Or: The last Zerhys I wrote was very fluffy, so ur boi had to write something angsty to balance himself out. HOPEFUL ENDING THOUGH, so chill out you friggin’ goblins.





	I Swear I’ll Find You

**Author's Note:**

> This song made me do this. Blame Sigur Rós.
> 
> https://youtu.be/Gf1h2PMPCAo

Beep.

Zer0 is in Rhys’ bedroom. It looks slightly different from what they remember, but it’s not too uncommon of an occurrence for Rhys to redecorate on a whim, so they pay little mind to it.

What is curious to them is Rhys’ notably unenthusiastic greeting, or lack thereof. Whenever Zer0 pays their boyfriend a visit, Rhys usually bounds over to them like a lovesick puppy.

Zer0’s eyes scan the dimly-lit room and eventually land on the form of their slumped over partner gazing back at them intently from the foot of Rhys’ bed.

They startle, despite themselves. Rhys is never this quiet. Dread starts pooling in their stomach, but they ignore it for the time being.

Zer0 approaches him.

“Good afternoon, Rhys. / …Is there something the matter? / You seem upset, dear.”

Rhys moves to grab their wrist, but seems to think better of it and drops his hand. Zer0 doesn’t know what to think of that.

“Would you… sit? Next to me.” Rhys whispers.

Zer0 does. They bring their hand up to cup Rhys’ cheek, the way they know he likes, but he flinches away from the touch.

“Don’t! Just… no touching, please. Just let me pretend. At least for a little while.”

Zer0 has no idea what Rhys means by that, and they’re hurt that he doesn’t want them closer, but everyone needs space sometimes, they suppose.

“Do you… want to talk? / If I can help, please let me. / I’d do anything,” Zer0 offers, hands clasped together in their lap as they scoot closer to Rhys on the bed.

Much to Zer0’s horror — a sob escapes Rhys’ lips, followed by another and then more after that. “It’s so realistic. No wonder so many people fell for it.”

It’s only now that Zer0 notices the state Rhys is in. He looks… ragged. He’s lost weight. There’s a smattering of grey hairs on his temple. Cracks along the edges of his eyes where there weren’t any yesterday.

Zer0 watches Rhys’ tears catch and fall down the mysterious wrinkles and can feel themselves panicking.

They look outside the bedroom window, up at Elpis. Except… is that Elpis? It’s lit up with the markings of a fiery bird and the familiar bright purple scar on its surface is nowhere to be found.

And the cityscape of Promethea — it’s all wrong. Some buildings are missing. Other, newer ones have popped up where there should be empty space.

Zer0 looks back at Rhys for an explanation and sees only misery and grief reflected back at them.

None of this makes sense. Is this a nightmare? Zer0 can’t take it anymore, they move forward to hold Rhys — to find comfort in him.

Zer0 passes through him.

What?

Zer0 looks down at their body, still shimmering a pale blue from their previous movement.

They look back at Rhys — OLDER Rhys who is still staring at them sadly, longingly.

Zer0 realizes what’s going on. They flicker through many different emotions in the span of just a few short seconds.

Horror.

Acceptance.

Worry.

Worry. Worry. Worry.

“Rhys, this isn’t—“

Beep.

The hologram disappears.

Rhys slumps to the ground, clutching Zer0’s old cloaking gadget, feeling as empty as he always does.

Why does the AI on the hologram have to be so perfect? It was only ever meant to be used to distract hostiles. Why make it so lifelike?

He needs to stop doing this. He knows it’s not healthy. It’s not the same thing. He knows this isn’t the correct way to cope.

But it’s all he has left.

…

Beep.

Footsteps.

“Good afternoon, Rhys. / …Is there something the matter? You seem upset, dear.”

*******

The neon signs on the skyscraper across from Rhys’ apartment bathe his room in bright pink and purple lights. He hopes they’ll keep him awake a little while longer.

It’s 3 AM and Rhys can feel his eyes drooping, traitorously.

He fears sleep. From the moment he wakes up to the moment he lays back down again at night — he can’t stand it. Because it’s a waste of his time. Hours of nightmares. Hours of time that he’d rather spend looking. Searching.

Their hologram projector. Their helmet. Their sword. Some of their blood. That’s all that was left when Rhys came home one day.

But not enough blood for a fatal wound. No corpse to give him closure. Just their cracked helmet and that horrible device. That evil machine that taunts Rhys with the memory of them.

How ironic that the very same projection that saved his life so many times before; against bandits, against competitors, now exists just to hurt him — To project the ghost of his lost love to haunt his home and his thoughts. Every moment of every day.

His friends have told him to give up.

That it’s time to accept that Zer0 is dead. That they have been for eight years.

But there was no body.

They’re out there. Somewhere.

Are they hurt? Are they in danger? Did they leave him of their own volition?

No, they would never. Even if Zer0 wanted to break things off with him, they would have at least said goodbye.

Rhys wonders if they still think of him. Does that make him selfish? To wish more than anything that Zer0 might miss him half as much as he misses them?

Vaughn still visits. Tries to make him laugh, makes sure he’s eating.

Fiona and Sasha come over sometimes. Not as much as they used to, but Rhys can’t blame them. He knows he isn’t good company.

Lorelei comes over every day — forces themselves in if he’s being pissy. To watch movies. Play ECHO games. Lorelei never leaves until he smiles a little bit. Sometimes Rhys fakes it, just so they don’t feel bad.

Atlas investors — the board of directors. They’ve all been hounding him about wasting company resources, sending out endless Crimson Lance scouts and search parties all across the universe. They say it’s a waste of Atlas’ time and money.

Well, fuck them.

Fuck Atlas. Fuck his friends. Fuck everyone.

They’re all wrong. Rhys knows Zer0 is out there, waiting for him.

Rhys doesn’t bother changing into pyjamas. Doesn’t go under the covers. He just flops down on top of the mattress and prays he doesn’t dream tonight.

Rhys turns onto his side and faces the damaged helmet resting on the pillow opposite him.

He leans forward and presses his lips briefly against the broken faceplate. “They’re wrong. I know they are… You got me out of trouble more times than I can count. Well, now it’s my turn to save you, and none of those goddamn doubters are going to stop me.”

Rhys grabs the helmet and tucks it under his chin, holding it close. A few strays tears trail down his face and he brushes them off the top of the helmet.

“Tell me I’m not crazy,” he whispers. “Tell me anything… please.”

A heavy thud sounds from his doorway. Rhys’ head whips around and he wills himself not to seem disappointed when he sees that it’s only Loader Bot holding Gortys in his hands.

“Hello, Virtuous Father.”

“…Hey, Rhys.”

Rhys sighs and sits up to face them, rubbing his eyes.

“What’s up, you two? Need help with something?”

Gortys shifts in Loader Bots arms and fumbles her clamps together. “Uh… We were just thinking… that is — LB and I were thinking, that uh—“

“Gortys believes that you are severely depressed and that we should engage our rest modes in your private domicile from this day forward,” Loader Bot interrupts.

“I told you to be subtle about it, you dingus,” Gortys smacks her ‘fist’ against Loader Bot’s arm.

Clank.

“Ow.”

“Wait, hold on. You guys want to… sleep with me? Like, in here?” Rhys cocks an eyebrow.

“Sleep with you restfully; not sleep with you sexually. That would be incest and also I do not have genitals,” Loader Bot responds.

“He didn’t mean sex, dummy. Quit making it weird,” Gortys smacks him again. Twice.

Clank, clank.

“Ow. Ow.”

In the past, Rhys might have been embarrassed that it had come to this. As it stands, he readily welcomes whatever comfort he can find these days.

But it is still a LITTLE bit pathetic to be babied by your adoptive robo-children.

Rhys coughs awkwardly into his hand and gestures to the wall next to his bed. “There’s a charge port there Elbie, if you want to—“

“Good night, sweet prince,” Loader Bot’s charge cord flies into the wall and he immediately powers down.

“…He’s never been a man of many words,” Gortys supplies, as Dumpy flies into the room, chirps excitedly, knocks over a lamp and lands on top of Loader Bot.

“I know. He means well. You both do… So, hey — thanks. For this, Gortys. It’s just been a rough few—“ Rhys’ words are cut short as Gortys clumsily clambers up onto his bed. She rolls up to the front of the mattress, dragging the corner of the comforter along with her, and tosses it over both of them as she lays down next to Rhys’ face.

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Rhys. I know.”

Rhys feels his eyes start to water up and his lip twitches but he quickly stamps down whatever emotions were boiling to the surface. His bots seem worried enough already. “Thanks, Gortie. Maybe tomorrow we can all go for a walk or something. Y’know, some fresh air might do me good.”

A bright smiley face lights up Gortys’ LED display as she snuggles closer to Rhys. “That sounds fun! It probably would be good for you. I don’t have a nose and even I can tell you’re kind of smelly from being cooped up in here all the time.”

Rhys chuckles. It feels good to laugh again. “Wow, way to make a guy feel special. G’night, Gortys.”

“Goodnight, Rhys.”

There’s a moment of silence, and Rhys is confused because Gortys’ lights are still on. He’s about to ask if she’s okay when she speaks up.

“I believe you, you know. Zer0 is tough. I don’t think they’re dead and they wouldn’t leave without a good reason,” she clinks her clamp against the faceplate of the helmet in Rhys’ arms.

…

“I know you’ll bring them home, dad.”

Gortys powers down.

And Rhys gets a good night’s sleep for once.

*******

It’s two and a half hours later when Zer0’s cracked faceplate lights up, unbeknownst to the bedroom’s occupants.

Everyone is still deep asleep, and Rhys cheek is drenched in drool, but the helmet lights up a dim red, regardless.

The helmet tries to spell out words, but the face is too damaged to display full letters.

There’s a brief pause.

Several small dots appear on the undamaged section of the mask. Then a dash. More dots again.

A message.

.- -... -.. ..- -.-. - . -..

-... -.-- / ..-. .- -- .. .-.. -.--

... - .-. .- -. -.. . -..

-. . -.- .-. --- - .- ..-. . -.-- ---

The transmissions halt for a moment.

.-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-

The message repeats itself. Over and over and over again.

Rhys wakes up and dares to believe again.

“I’m on my way.”

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who don’t feel like translating the morse code:
> 
> “Abducted.  
By family.  
Stranded.  
Nekrotafeyo.  
...  
Love you.”


End file.
